


Sticks and stones do break bones

by peka



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Babybones (Undertale), Child Abuse, Dark fic, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Medieval/Victorian times, Multi, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parent/Child Incest, Pedophilia, Public Humiliation, Underfell Sans (Undertale), sans (undertale) - Freeform, undertale or underfell
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-02-24 23:40:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22006330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peka/pseuds/peka
Summary: In an era where monsters and humans have recently discovered each other's existence, Sans was created by the famous Dr W.D.Gaster, only to find out a few years later that he was a failed experiment and gets kicked out from the mansion into the cruel world, despite him being a fully dependent child and not knowing anything about survival.A few years later a war erupts between humans and monsters, the latter having the upper hand thanks to the doctor's second son, the great Papyrus, who is still looking for his missing older brother that disappeared when he and his father were ambushed by humans during a trip.
Relationships: Chara/Frisk (Undertale), Chara/Sans (Undertale), Frisk/Sans (Undertale), Grillby/Sans (Undertale), Papyrus/Sans (Undertale), W. D. Gaster/Sans
Comments: 8
Kudos: 76





	1. How it all begins

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know if you find any grammar mistakes or anything worth fixing.  
> Silent_Observer_of_time, skumhuu, JellyFicsnFucks, Underfellsansy I LOVE YOU ❤

there was a big mansion on the highest hill in the capital, it loomed proudly behind creaky iron gates, flanked by rows of trees crowned in green leaves, swaying gently to the wind. At its threshold stood a beautiful marble fountain located towards the right side of the lawn, the soft gurgling of the clear water melodic as it resonated in the surrounding soft whisper of gentle wind. The mansion was surrounded by a magnificent giant garden with neatly trimmed hedges , it's white windows, had royal purple curtains hanging on the other side of them, drawn so that the sunlight could stream through, countless luxurious hallways leading into countless rooms, all carpeted with a thick, rich red carpet. There are statues, paintings, vases, and gold decorations everywhere.

  
there was a tiny skeleton running through the halls not minding the havoc he caused and the people he pushed out of his way or simply ran into, it was the last of his worries, accidentally hitting a table which had an expensive vase on and making it drop on the ground accompanied with the loud sound of glass shattering, he ignored the half-hearted glares the servants threw his way, not like they could do anything to him, he was the ''young master'' of this house after all. Said young master was named sans, he was a five year old small child, much smaller than monsters his age should be.

  
Despite that the mansion was quite populated, it only possessed the servants who came during the day and left to a separate lodge they liked to call a dorm during the night, while the night shift would take over their work, they were not residents in it, however, it had another individual who permanently lived in it, his father, the royal scientist, the one and only doctor w.d.gaster.

  
Gaster's attitude toward his ''son'' was cold at best, cruel at worst. To him, sans wasn't a real monster, just an object created for the sole purpose of serving the royal family and him, a makeshift boss monster that would be nothing but a tool of destruction in the palm of his hand.

  
There was on the other hand, another man who did spend some nights in their majestic demeure, the head butler and gaster's right hand man, referred to as grillby. Unlike his father, the man doted on the poor child. Though his reasons were less than kind hearted. You see, the flame monster was not a good man. He put forth airs of politeness and charm, but he had a rotten core.

  
- _The skeleton child was playing with an old doll that one kind maid gave to him, its clothes, which in the past must've been woven with so much love, were tattered, tarnished from all their beauty with persistent stains that wouldn't wash off, he was grateful for the generous present, his father never gave him any, the man said it would rot his brain away and disconnect him from reality, he'd only be furious if he knew he was playing with one, yet alone if it was a girl's toy._

  
_Sans was telling his only friend all sorts of things about how his day went, Just as he was getting to a description of the food he ate today, the door opened. The small child tucked his precious toy under his bed ,got on top of it, covered his small, thin body with a layer of cotton red sheets and hid his face under a pillow. Perhaps, he thought, if he can’t see his face, he won’t know he's here. he was wrong of course, as children often are. grillby could see him, and he could see his ivory bones through that far too thin nightgown..._

  
_the disgusting act had been committed once more, and sans was left sobbing, bleeding into his sheets. But sans doesn’t remember anything about it. It’s fine, it’s okay, he’s alright, because he doesn’t think about it, so it didn’t happen, you see?_ -

  
Sans touched the collar that adorns his neck bone as he ran in the hallways, the one he wore today was made of rough leather, his other one that was thankfully in gaster's drawer today, was made of nylon with a powerful shock, the sick bastard made him wear that one during training and classes.

  
His adoring father would yank him around, holding the back of the collar as he beat him down whenever he couldn't do as told, whether solving a difficult equation or unable to perform a complicated magic spell, sometimes he just lift him into the air, dangling him as sans gasped for unnecessary oxygen.

  
_There was No messy, gasping breaths. No tears. No begging. He never begs anymore. Never pleads._

However, today sans was screwed. Eternally, incredibly, undoubtedly screwed.

  
He was late for today's class.

  
The lure of sleep had washed over him, keeping him held tightly within its grasp over half an hour after one of the maids came to wake him up, only to close his eyes and fall asleep once more, then getting woken up again because a noisy pigeon decided to start cooing loudly on the tree next to his window, thankfully sans was a light sleeper, his Eyes flashed open as he jolted out of the bed with a gasp, noticing the time displayed on the Victorian clock next to his window as anxiety rushed through him.

  
It was 7.28 when he checked the clock before rushing out of his room like a man on fire, internally berating himself over his laziness, the lesson started at 7.30, maybe he could make it if he'd skip breakfast?  
Oh stars, at this rate, he’d be at least three minutes late to his class of the day: Advanced Monster Literature. he wasn't ready to be punished this early in the morning.

  
His father never let off any slip-up regarding his tutelage, sans knew he was in for at least a slap on the wrist as he made a beeline towards the study, coming to a halt and shivering in front of the ornate wooden door, he reached out a shaky hand, not touching the handle, too afraid to face whatever punishment he'd have to endure for being behind time, however, staying paralyzed like a statue in front of the entrance would only delay the inevitable, if he dawdles any further gaster could come out to look for him, that would only make his situation worse.

  
Steeling his nerves as he tried to disconnect from the world around him in an attempt to push back fear into the corner of his mind, closing his eyes and violently twisting the knob as he shoved his way into the empty room. Usually gaster would be here first, having prepared today's lesson and questions before sans would join him and begin the stressful class. He stood in the middle of the room looking around in confusion, not knowing what to do in this scenario, his father was never late before, he couldn't decide a course of action before gaster's threatening tall figure suddenly emerged from the door mumbling to himself, He smelled of dust and sweat and something else, something sharp and sterile. Underneath his long black coat, he was wearing the same sweater he’d worn two days ago, looking at a bunch of papers he was organizing in his hands talking without sparing him a glance ''Sans, i'm afraid this session will have to be postponed ''.

  
Sans let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, he thought his father came back to this room after a fruitless effort to find the young child. Gaster resumed his talking, full of pride and smugness ''After months of hard, tireless work focused on one sole project that explored the boundlessness and harmony of monster souls and bodies, my newest creation is finally complete sans. All the preliminary testing that you took part in helped me find a way to make a better recipient for magical energy which would charge even faster. All that is left to do now is to activate the skeleton in a safe, controlled environment, for now, i will be reporting my progress to the king regarding project P7PY .''

  
Sans's couldn't understand some words Gaster said, the tall monster didn't care to explain further because he was now searching in his pocket for something, sans's brain could only process that the experiments on his soul were thankfully over. After a moment of confusion, he supposes that what gaster meant was that he has finally completed working on the skeleton body he once told him he was making, and that his empty soul would gather energy fast enough to function soon.

  
Sans wasn't born the traditional way after all, he was made in the lab from whatever his father created his body out of, maybe dead human skeletons?, anyway, despite his body being ready once finished, he didn't animate. The scientist was confused at first, but he soon found out what made any and every monster tick, their soul, and sans didn't have one.

  
So he spent the first three years of his life as a lifeless husk in his father's secret lab, gaster once told him he was kept inside a giant canister filled with ectoplasm which was regularly pumped with magic and other substances to ensure his body was being held together, or it would've collapsed to dust on it's own, the empty container he liked to call a soul, was regularly getting injected with determination until it charged enough to imitate a normal one, like a battery. Once it worked on it's own, all he had to do was occasionally replenish the energy he spends by eating food.

  
Yet still, sans spent another month glued to a bed.

After a couple days of functioning surprisingly well, his head felt like splitting and he suddenly blacked out, once he woke up, everything hurt, between the thick, pollen-filled atmosphere and the heavy suffocating feeling in his chest, he couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong, The dark red liquid he vomit was freezing cold, His non existent lungs burned for air he doesn't need, body practically begging for it, but he didn’t have the strength to suck it in, He feels something sharp enter his arm as he screams in agony.

  
the rest of the memories were vague, he could only remember the ghost of an unbearable pain and the vague sensation hands touching him all over his body, he feels like thousands of bugs are crawling on his bones

  
Sans always had a weak body, gaster told him he was pondering putting him out of his misery if the determination injections wouldn't have worked

  
Said man's loud ''Aha!'' shook sans out of his musing, the sound indicating he had found whatever he was looking for in his pocket, sans looks up to find him holding a golden key, the old monster always locked some rooms whenever he left, mainly his own bedroom and the study, places that he refused to let sans in without supervision. He ordered the child standing in the middle of the room to get out before locking it. The sound of a metallic click felt like a symphony to sans's ears, his face lit up as the joy of getting a free morning without class overtook his anxiety, he watched his father's back as he left without saying a word.

Sans rushed towards the front window where he could peek at the carriage in front of the main entrance, waiting to see his father get inside it, he wondered what it'll be like to have a brother, will he suffer just like him? will he make sans suffer more? Sans hopes not.


	2. New brother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This story is heavily influenced by mangas and authors.

If Sans could describe the relationship between him and his younger brother, he would say they were like oil and water: they just did not mix. Or Chlorine trifluoride and Hydrocarbons : liable to explode upon contact. Or acid and bleach: potentially poisonous when forced together, both to each other and those around them.

it all started when father exited his laboratory holding the small bundle of bones, from the moment that the five years old child laid eyes on his newborn brother, In that very instant, he knew that his purpose in life was to protect this child, to shield him from the darkness and hatred that lurked in this world, to coddle him and make sure that no one dared to harm his precious younger brother.

He didn’t know this in quite so many words, of course, for a five years old, young child is not as eloquent or experienced as that, but the raw sentiment was there in its entirety.

Once the servants saw the newborn skeleton, it was not hard to see just why sans cherished him so. Indeed, it was impossible not to adore the baby, with his doe-like eye sockets, his soft and ivory bones, his button nose, his laugh, he was perfect in every aspect, Unlike his older brother.

Ah, yes. Why couldn’t he be more like Papyrus, indeed. pap easily became the perfect child, obedient but assertive, confident but prudent, loud but authoritative.

While his older brother was a weakling and a nuisance, bowing his head to anybody, anxious about everything, Why couldn’t Sans be more like him?

Over time, no one bothered to conceal their dislike of Sans and their preference for Papyrus. Tempers became pricklier, and sometimes someone would scold Sans for almost no reason at all.

The chant never ended, coming from all sides; why can’t you be more like your brother? Why can’t you be like Papyrus?

It grew worse as time went on, Papyrus became taller than him, able to catch on quickly and effectively, fighting and using magic came easily to the boy, his xp and hp skyrocketing with every training session, ones far more undemanding and lenient than Sans's, while the older brother had more difficulty, to the point where even his father became incredibly frustrated with him, and the punishments became more frequent.

Pap could learn faster, work faster, run faster; he perpetually left Sans behind in the dust, basking merrily in the praise and affection of others while his own brother was left on the sidelines. As time passed, Sans didn't know how to feel about his younger brother anymore, the way everyone treated Papyrus was completely different, their attitude changes 180 degrees whenever they spots Papyrus, giving him all their attention while ignoring Sans, it was obvious the younger and newer creation was everyone's favorite, as Sans was tossed away.

It was normal that most monsters would spend more time with and feel closer to the stronger sibling, sometimes Sans fears for his life, siblicide was quite usual in a time of substantial resource shortages, weak heirs would be mocked and tarnish their family's reputation, the strong only respect the strong, and disdain the weak, considering them free xp, a stepping stool for them.

The more powerful children would be encouraged by their parents to eliminate their own siblings and eradicate the bad genes from the family's bloodline, some do it without encouragement, it becomes advantageous for the surviving offspring, because they have now eliminated most or all of their competition.

Luckily, father still thinks that Sans is useful, for now.

Papyrus never realized his troubles, however, sans made sure it stayed that way. the younger didn’t need to know what was happening, didn’t need to know about the chilly looks and cold shoulders that Sans received all day, every day. he deserved to be happy, to be having fun, and it was Sans’s duty as an older brother to make sure he stayed that way.

Sans is now 14, he had finished all his studies under Gaster, to his tutor's surprise, it was after his father corrected his last test that sans saw the hint of a smile on his creator's impassive visage. despite the years of abuse and beatings, sans still felt happy whenever he got his father's approval, he still desired his love so badly that he was unable to escape his father's shadow, he never thought of leaving, never thought that he belonged somewhere else.

Not like he had a place in this world, he still clings to the hope that someday, the massive power and strength he was promised would appear, that he would be loved, that he would finally fulfill his purpose.

Today, Papyrus had went with father to run some errands, they were back sooner than he anticipated, his only warning was the thudding quick steps making their way over to him, sans growled to himself as he fell on the ground, gritting his teeth while glaring at the energetic taller skeleton who escaped after pushing him off and screaming ''tag! you're it''.

Papyrus slowed his stride after realizing no one was chasing him, he turned around to check if something was wrong, his big brother was still sitting on the ground, dusting himself off, not even sparing him a glance, he walked back to Sans, more than a little irritated that his brother didn't indulge him, Sans doesn't play with him as frequently as they had, his schedule was tight and he didn't get to go out with him or spend as much time as Papyrus wanted, his brother was the only child beside him in this big mansion, despite that, the time they spent together got less day by day.

“Do you suddenly have no interest in me, brother?” he said, tilting his head, cupping Sans's chin in his right hand and jerking it upward.

“I have an interest in clawing your eyes out if that's what you're asking”, Papyrus nyehe'd as he grabbed Sans by the waist and propped him up in the air, ''We don't even have eyes brother!''.

despite Papyrus being 5 years younger than Sans, he was already taller than him, and by the looks of how he just lift his brother in the air like he was a pillow full of feather, he was going to be very strong once he'd grow up.

“Did you enjoy the ride, bro?” Sans's voice was calm as papyrus ran around in circles holding him up.

“I missed you so much during my brief trip! a shame you didn't accompany us!” Papyrus's voice was playful.

Sans never left the mansion before, he was an object, and objects didn't need to go out for the fun of it, that's what his father once told him, he doubts anyone has said that to Papyrus, so Sans kept silent as he looked away, pushing down the heavy feeling of jealousy deep in his chest, he was above that.

“Look at me when we're talking. How can you be so rude?” Pap jerked Sans's head towards him with one hand, the other pressing him to his chest. “Do you need a lesson in manners?”

Sans smiled, trying to regain this inner emptiness he felt just minutes ago.

Papyrus was pouting, a cute act if someone didn't know of the underlying threat that is his brother's tantrum, he knew that his brother was as much of an irritable person as his father, however, Sans had years of practice in trying to tame his younger brother, he had a few tricks.

The older skeleton put a soothing hand on Papyrus's cheek and smiled at him reassuringly. “No, bro, I still remember what you taught me last time. You're so good at explaining yourself.”

“Don't try to sweet-talk me brother, you shall not escape your punishment.”

Papyrus grabbed his brother's arms in his, holding them on top of his head, ignoring the older's pleas for mercy and struggles as his grip tightened, unyielding despite Sans's best efforts to get away, which only made Sans's anxiety skyrocket, wasn't he the older brother?, wasn't he supposed to be stronger?

He doesn't stand a chance against the boy on top of him, does he? Papyrus's smile was smug and sadistic as his fingers dug gently into Sans's ribs as he nyehe'd happily. Sans dropped his calm facade as he put more effort to free his hands and push his attacker off but it was to no avail, the younger male was stronger, and with his knees either side of Sans's hips, as Sans now lays flat against the floor - he had no escape.

"Paps, Pahp please!" His assailant gave him a short reprieve, Sans gasped when he had the chance to breath, but Papyrus only laughed in his face as his attack continued.

His fingers moved from the older's ribs to his armpits, watching the way his sibling squirmed and giggled, Pap was merciless, holding him hostage to fits of pleasure.

A maid peered into the hall, one Sans liked, she worked in the kitchen at the end of the hall, worried that one of the children got hurt, but when she saw the event before her, listening to Sans's pleas for her to help him, she cracked a big smile and waved goodbye to him as she returned to her task, the betrayal!

After several minutes of tickling, Sans was limp on the ground ,letting out labored breaths as he was went on the offensive, ready for another tickle attack, Papyrus was still on top of him, but he didn't look like he was going to strike again.

''Do you promise not to be rude to me again dear brother?'' his words smug , the underlying threat of another tickle session thick on his voice.

Sans nodded so quickly that he felt dizzy “Yes! promise!” There was no point in trying to win this round, when the younger one gave him a questioning look, not convinced enough, Sans swallowed his pride and repeated. “I promise, bro. I'll be good.”

In a swift motion, Papyrus removed his hands from his brother's tickly parts and got up, helping sans getting up by lending him a hand, their bickering ended as a butler emerged from the corner and told Sans that he was being summoned to his father's private quarters.

Sans took a step towards the way the butler was directing him, but was pulled back by the pouting nine years old, the shorter sighed, ''paps, let go, i can't be late or father will get angry'', the younger brother looks away as he lets go without a word and runs off to the opposite direction yelling ''Then go, you obviously like to spend time with him more than with me, i don't want to palay with you anymore you idiot!''

The young skeleton made his way to his most hated part of the mansion, humming quietly to himself as he walked past the vast, intricately decorated halls of the w.d mansion. It was rather unnerving to him, what does father want?

Gaster's private quarters comprises a bathroom, a bedroom and the most private space of all, his private library, a wall separated the bedroom from the library with a small door by the windows, with no other way in, sans ended up at bedroom's door, knocking twice before letting himself in.

The room was in a more restrained decorative style than the rest of the extravagant mansion. The classic décor and the mixture of modern furniture combine to create an atmosphere of quiet elegance, the doors separating the rooms were thin, Sans flinched at the sound of his name being called in a barely calm voice. He knew he had done something wrong by the tone of it, He hugged himself as He tried to sort through his memory to see if he could remember anything that he might have done that was displeasing.

But before he could find anything, his name was called again. Except this time, it sounded angrier and more impatient. All his years of training at the hands of the man in the other room were screaming at him to answer, he anxiously made his way to the private library.

Sans didn’t want to look up to face the owner of the voice, but knew that he had to if he didn’t want to be punished more severely than what was already planned.

''You didn't deliver the thesis about human souls yet, did you?''

Sans was panicking, He knew that he should have started the essay a week ago, Gaster ordered him to do deliver it today, but Sans forgot.

Sans did indeed finish his studies, he never met other children beside him so he didn't know if he finished too early or too late, his father has never told him that he was a prodigy.

Gaster has been ordering him to make articles in his stead, in order to discover something worthy and restore his father's former glory, after building the core, the old man hasn't been very productive in terms of scientific researches, he's been struggling to find more material in order to protect his position as a royal scientist, the competition for the title had been fierce, and Sans, has been the one to make some brilliant theories and studies, only for Gaster to sweep all his work and get the credit for it and the approval of the king.

If he didn't, Sans would only be a rival for the head scientist position, if he didn't work for Gaster, he would be a nuisance to him, and he would probably get killed.

Sans squeezed his eyes shut and let out a shaky breath as he answered ''No Sir. I forgot about it.''

Gaster finally looked at him, giving him the attention Sans craved, but not in the right context, he glared at the child. ''how could you ignore and forget your father's demand?, the man who created you and gave you shelter from such a cruel world.'' Gaster stood up and walked to a drawer, opening it and pulling out a whip.

Sans silently assumed the position that he knew was expected of him, he went down on his knees and extended his hands, the palm facing down, as his father brought the equipment for his punishment. ''How many lashes do you think you deserve, hmm, Sans?” The tall man hummed. He was enjoying this.

Sans was afraid that if he gave a small number, the scientist would scoff and beat him worse and that if he gave a large number, the man would laugh and really give it to him. the trembling child squeezes his fist tighter and mutters ''T-ten, sir.''

''You will have twenty then, ten or each arm.''

Sans whimpered and bit back the tears that were flooding to his eyes as The man raised the whip and began to abuse his forearms , ripping through his thin layer of clothing. The harshness of the whip cruelly chipped the bone as marrow dripped down into the floor, the child’s vision began to blur and he felt tears trail down his cheek. He whined at every lash and mustered every bit of his strength to keep his legs from going weak and collapsing on the ground.

He knew he would get punished even worse if he caved in. By the time the man stopped, Sans had lost count of how many lashes he was given, the small skeleton retreated into his own room, used green magic to stop the bleeding, and cried until the sun retired for the night, disappearing behind the distant, towering hills to spread its light somewhere else.

He didn't dare go out of his room to have dinner in the same table as the horrible man, he had spent the rest of his day under the blankets of his bed, they gave him a false sense of security and warmth, until he hears the door creaking open around midnight.

Sans shivered under the cotton blankets, too scared to move, he wasn't ready for more pain, please... please.

But the blinding light didn't appear, the burning sensation of fiery hands blazing his bones didn't occur, he hears tiny steps entering the room.

He finally relaxed as Papyrus crawls into his bed, His feet are cold and uncomfortable against his calves.

"I can't sleep." the taller grumbles. He had too much energy to sleep with a reasonable schedule. Randomly sleeping and waking up at different short intervals, he called them night naps. Whenever he made too much of a ruckus his father would use chloroform to make him finally rest.

Papyrus tried to make himself comfortable as he lays in the free, narrow space left. He feels like he's gonna fall off the bed if an air breeze pushes him.

''Move over!” Papyrus whines, tugging the blankets tighter around himself.

“No,” Sans retorted, “I am quite content where I am.” 

His younger brother glared at him. “Well, I am not! You have placed yourself in the center of the bed.”

“Where I deserve to be.” stated Sans, as a matter of fact.

Papyrus growled as he gave him a very serious expression. Not more than nine years old, the younger skeleton already had the ability to convey far more with a look than words ever could. It always unsettled Sans. “Such a brat,” he muttered, rolling over, Papyrus claims the warm empty space his brother left for him with a happy sigh.

''Why didn't you come for dinner?'' Papyrus asks.

''i wasn't hungry.'', he yawns.

Sans didn't say anything more, the room falls in deep silence once again, he feels his brother squirming against him. "Go to sleep now, Pap. I'm tired."

"So how come I have to sleep because you're tired?" answered the young one.

"Because you're in my bed," Sans points out reasonably, "If you don't sleep you'll keep me up."

"Tell me a story."

"Ask one of the maids" Sans mumbles, "I'm no good at stories." 

''They're still working.They are too busy to play with me" said Papyrus looking petulant, then he hugs Sans."And i want you to tell me one!"

Sans returns the hug, "I can't make them up, though," Sans tells him. " I can tell you stories, but they're not really my stories. Just ones i read from a book a maid gave to me as a parting gift, when she left to get married, it's called peek-a-boo with fluffy bunny''.

The kind dog maid probably felt pity for him, since she was quitting the job, she didn't fear getting fired, so she gave the book to him.

Papyrus's face lit up as he smiled to his big brother, he pulls away enough to get a good look at sans. He still has his eyes closed.

Sans didn't make any move to get up and get the book, after a couple minutes of silence, the excited child's smile slowly turned into a pout, how dare his brother fall asleep in the middle of a conversation?! what a lazybones!

Before he could shake him awake, sans cut him off. ''I hid the book somewhere in the garden, if a maid finds it here while cleaning, she'll take it to father and he'll confiscate it , so 'ill recite it to you.''

"You remember the stories you read from books? I can't remember things like that!" Papyrus's eyes turning into stars. Sans smiles ruefully. "father says I have an eidetic memory," he admits quietly. "That means I remember everything. So of course I remember what i read."

"Wow." Pap squirms a little. "Everything?"

"Everything." Sans sounds both proud and a little nervous, glad to have something above his brother, glad to be admired for it.

Papyrus giggles. "You're so smart. But I'm still stronger than you - " and with that his knee drives between their arms, twist out of his grip, and they are wrestling, but quietly, with only a few giggles and gasps to reveal the effort they expend. The friendly tuffle, as always, ends with Papyrus on top of Sans, his knees planted on his thighs and hands on his upper arms.

Sometimes Sans almost forgets about how even though pap is five years younger than him, he is stronger, and faster, and less reluctant to cause hurt.

"See?"

"Yeah." Sans tries to lift his arms, but his brother's hands are insistent.

"Pap , kindly get your hands off of me.”

“No, I’m quite content where I am,” he mocked, Sans glared at him.

“Don’t be such a child! Get off of me.”

''you're the one beneath me! why aren't you the one moving over?''

“Oh! Oh no! How dare a peasant such as myself try to touch the great Papyrus!” Sans answered sarcastically, voice scathing. ''Pap, I swear–”

Papyrus's face is a few inches away from his.

“You’ll what? Put mustard in my food again? Do it and I’ll tell father!” the younger whispers, kisses him on the nose then finally lets go of his hands, but stayed on top of Sans.

Sans glowered. He dropped back onto the bed, looking away as Papyrus went silent. It offered Sans a brief moment of rest, but the child on top of him never knew when to quit.

Quietly as he could, he snaked his phalanges up his brother's thorax. Before Papyrus could protest, with his hands on each side of Sans's head, he pressed his fingers to the other boy’s side and started to tickle him mercilessly, perfect opportunity for a revenge!

The least dignified sound ripped itself from Papyrus. He jerked, squirming away from Sans. But the older one followed, unrelenting in his torture of too sensitive bones.

“Sans!, stop it this instant!” the older one laughed.

“Not until I have my own bed back!” Pap kicked at him, struggling to get away. “It’s OUR bed for the moment! Now stop it!”

''No!”

Papyrus kicked again, catching Sans in the stomach. It earned him a moment of reprieve.

Panting ever so slightly, he sat up on his knees, eyeing Sans seriously, hands on his hips. “I don’t wish to repeat myself,” he breathed.

Sans rubbed his stomach glaring. “Asgore’s beard, you didn’t have to hit that hard.”

“You’ve stopped, have you not?” Just as Sans was about to settle back down, Papyrus lunged at him. He squeaked, falling backward off of the bed. He hit the floor in a flail of limbs and a volley of curses.

“Papyrus! You impudent little–!” Papyrus cut him off ''language!'', as laughed at him from the bed.

“Sleep down there dear brother. It’ll be more comfortable for the both of us.”

Sans shot him an offended look. He reached up and yanked all of the blankets off the bed. then tugged them around himself. “Fine. Sleep well'', he sneered.

After a short moment, Sans grumbled ''Conniving little–”

“Say it and I’ll tell papa.”

And the silence took over the room again, only for Papyrus's voice to pierce it once more.

''Can i have my story now?''


	3. The banquet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, it's been a while, i hope you like this story, i'm far from getting into the tea, but please bear with me.  
> It's not like how i imagined it to be, it's got a lot of world building, i wonder if you know where this is going xD  
> Please don't hesitate to correct me if i make any mistakes

Today was the day Sans finally reached adulthood.  
In the confines of the garden at the Gaster Manor, Sans stared at the fountain at the core of a hedge maze as he listened to the wind rustling in the leaves.  
He felt like a little boy again. The library was always his favorite place in his home, he loved reading books, but this was a close second, when he was a child, he spent many hours alongside the residence’s gardener, learning all he could about the colorful flowers he planted, sometimes bringing one of his botany books to compare the illustrations to the real flowers.

Many more hours were spent hiding during stressful days to sneak a breath of fresh air, suddenly, he heard many servant's desperate plea to come out, they must've thought he went missing minutes before the banquet, he obliged and left the maze to announce his presence as he sat on a wooden bench close by, gaining a sigh of relief from the poor stressed maids.  
Loud horse’s trots and canters reached his ears, the skeleton leaned a little to the left to get a better view at the main entrance as he saw new carriages carrying different symbols of well known nobles enter the mansion, the 16 years old monster was holding his clothes with some difficulty and nerves, thanks the stars for years of training that keeps him from showing his true feelings on his face, the only sign of his anxiety was the red drops of sweat falling down his scull.

His hands trembled at the thought that he is going to have to greet all these guests, he was the reason they were all invited for this soirée, after all, It was common custom among nobles to hold a coming of age celebration once their heirs would grow out of stripes, to welcome them into high society, invite them to join social circles, and most importantly, to check their stats, both as a celebration and a clear indication that they are no longer protected by their stripes and no more under their custodian’s care. 

A butler came and urged him to go and greet his guests, Sans sighed and got up from the dusty bench he was sitting on, he patted his brand new attire, he can’t afford to show up dirty in front of the important guests, he wore a nobleman's outfit with matching ruffles and a red-black theme for this occasion. He worked his way through the complex series of staircases in order to reach the banquet complex, where the soirée is being held, in which he came to an expansive hallway lined with sets of open double doors leading on terraces that overlooked one of the mansion’s main courtyards. Throughout the hallway’s length, there were a few small groups of monsters having private conversations… and strangely, Papyrus, who has been standing at side the hall.

The younger skeleton wasn’t allowed to attend this event, it was only meant for adults, he has been sulking the last couple of days because he got rejected, not even talking to Sans and giving him the cold shoulder for not siding with him, the younger sibling yelped when he noticed his older brother approaching him, he truned around and ran away thinking he might get scolded.  
It seems he really wanted to be there to accompany him, Sans fondly looked at his younger brother’s slander figure as he quickly retreated, thankfully, the people around didn’t notice he was a minor due to his height and complexion.  
An echo of laughter turned his attention back to his destination, as he came close, a guard standing there nodded his head to him, then proceeded to notify the guard in command to announce his arrival.

The guard’s voice was so loud that it could be heard throughout the entire banquet hall, his voice which boomed, rang in Sans’s scull, his face heating up as soon as the attention turned towards him, the lively chatter died down for seconds as many eyes stared at him, assessing him.

‘’Oh my god, the Gaster first young master is here’’

‘’His appearance here is nothing like the rumors’’

‘’I agree about that, we may have misunderstood lord Gaster because his younger son is known to be a better prototype than Sans’’

Gossip about the two brothers sparked, Sans didn’t know his reputation was that low because he rarely attended social events, people tend to be more curious about the mysterious and hidden, gossip and rumors about how he didn’t want to show his face because of his hideous appearance, or because he had gone insane, or severely crippled circled the aristocratic society.

However, with his arrival, the gossip subsided, lord Gaster’s eldest son was a stark contrast to the crazed rumors about him, Sans, the real person, was neither ugly nor crazed nor crippled.  
Sans let out a sigh as he surveyed the whole banquet, he looked at the elegant crowd swirling by. Everyone was talking and drinking, a low level buzz filling the ballroom. He’s not an expert on parties, certainly not as extravagant as this sort, having not been invited to many, and having attended even less, Which only included papyrus’s birthday parties, they were indeed gorgeous, but not as lavish as this one.

The grand hall was unlike anything Sans had seen, he never came to this part of the mansion before, due to it being locked and deserted on regular days, but now, he witnessed it in it's full splendor. 

Dozens of balconies were spread among four floors surrounding a large atrium. Beyond the balconies, arched doorways similar to the one he'd just walked pass in the halls, white tall columns marked the alcoves and arched exits that dotted the room's perimeter at regular intervals.  
The middle half of the atrium’s floor was dedicated as a dance floor. Two dozen couples danced on a white marble dance floor to a fugue performed by an orchestra on a mahogany & gold stage on the other end of the hall, Its members were using elegant stringed instruments to play various compositions the guests could dance to if they chose.

The waiters walked around holding plates of hords d’oeuvres and beverages that perched precariously on their fingertips. On the other end of the banquet hall the main buffet hosts the most varied cuisine – thus permitting them to cater to a large variety of beings with different nutritional requirements , there was tabled seatings for those who wished to take a break. Every surface was rich wood, white or black marble, gold, or jewel toned velvet, along the walls were huge marble urns, flowers foaming out of them in cascades and bursts. Across one end of the ballroom the long gallery unfurled itself;  
the large room was wrapped in varying shades of reds and golds. Covering the floors, hanging from the high ceiling. Drapes and silks more luxurious than the other, golden chains and miscellaneous objects reflecting the amber light of the scented candles scattered on every available surface, Flower garlands hung above the curtains, festooning the room. 

Maybe a hundred or more people were dressed in similarly styled formal wear apparently enjoying themselves. Many influential monsters were in attendance, The Syndicate members, various officials from different areas and levels of the kingdom, as well as other beings of significant influence, and a few extra people such as Gastrer’s acquaintances.

An old tortoise monster came to greet him, casually patting his shoulder blade as he started chatting and expressing his thoughts of this evening, however Sans had no idea who he was talking to.  
Well, he had somewhat of an idea. he had certainly seen this monster before, likely in history books. But whether it was because he has never met amphibian monsters before that they blended together in his mind, or because it was hard for him to focus on conversation with the queasy feeling in his chest, he could not for the life of him remember his name.

People however seemed to know him well enough, greeting him with a pleasant "Young master Gaster". Many monsters approached him, some could not help holding their curiosity, and inquisitively asked Sans a string of questions, the more they knew about the royal scientist’s eldest son, the more they could boast about. others tried to establish connections enough to become acquaintances, there are many nobles who approach their superior by pretending they have no desire, politics were never openly talked.  
But beneath the pleasant masks, Sans can see the greed in their eyes, it's making him sick. Do people get into a habit of trying to use him as a living weapon?

The people from the radical faction had been the most active to curry his favor, they had brought expensive foods, clothes, and marriage proposals, that he, of course had declined, what he had heard from their story, the radical faction is a group of nobles who dissatisfied with the status quo, most of them insisted on starting a war with humans, the goal was to gain achievement or expand their territory, but rather than using him for war, he gets the impression that they were simply attempting to use him to get their faction bigger.

One of them, a wolf monster came to greet him and slightly bowed with an elegant and graceful poise then kissed the back of his hand.

‘’It’s a pleasure to meet you young master, I have since long been waiting for this opportunity’’

‘’Yes? What do you mean by that?’’

‘’Oh, didn’t you know? There are a lot of people curious about you. You are the eldest son of the Gaster family, who has rarely been seen in a social event, a person like you attending this banquet makes it one of a kind.’’

The noble laughed while saying that as if it was funny, Sans did not exactly understand what part of it was but gave him a polite smile to go with the mood.

‘’Sir, if you don’t mind, would you join me at my table? I would like to talk a little bit more with you.’’


	4. A complete failure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was a part of the last chapter but it was so long i had to divide it into chapter 3 chapter 4 and chapter 5, sorry if you're bored from how long this is :( , this one is just a dull continuation of the last chapter.

‘’And finally rule over this continent. It’s just an incredible idea isn’t it?‘’

It seems the wolf monster was done with his speech, it was long enough that Sans forgot his name, did he introduce himself in the beginning?

‘’I refuse.’’

He usually answered these kind of proposals with a ‘’Thank you for the invitation but…’’ in a diplomatic way to reject someone, but he wasn’t in the mood, it was the third time someone tried to coerce him into starting a revolution against the king or fighting unnecessary wars for their own benefit.

However, the noble persisted ‘’In this day and age, we can’t only rely on physical strength and power. What’s important is your intelligence, and I’m smart.’’

Sans stared at him baffled, but the man thought his expression was one of admiration.

  
‘’That’s right, you only have to listen to me, you’ll fight the army and hold down the rebels, try to not kill them but beat them well enough to be near death so i can kill them next.’’

When Sans repeated that he wouldn’t fight for him, the man became disconcerted about what if his goal wouldn’t be fulfilled.

  
‘’Someone with non-existent talents and only good at fighting shouldn’t think anything and just listen to their betters.’’ He keeps insisting on his excellence, but Sans doesn’t see him this way.

  
‘’You know, it’s not such a bad deal for a fake monster, it’s easy for you to be my husband. You will be able to do anything you like-‘’

Some moderates and radical’s attitude was downright condescending, but this guy’s special, no one ever stated anything about his origin’s disdain. He couldn’t get through this man. He knew he was going to have to fight sooner or later, he was made for this purpose, the short skeleton had obliged to the outlined details of his life, everything was planned by Gaster, and as his creator he's the only one who could order him. He thought of another way to end this conversation.

‘’You said you would take over the continent, who will manage it?’’ Sans started.

‘’Of course I will, I’m confident in my governing ability’’

‘’You mean governing the entire continent by yourself?’’

‘’Exactly, you can be my mate.’’ he said that as if it was a privilege.

‘’For you to rule the entire continent, that means the royal family would be under your control, right?’’. The noble's face paled, knowing where this was going. ‘’Are you planning treason against our king?’’. He continued.

‘’N-no, I didn’t mean it like that!’’

‘’Under the law of this country, treason is punishable by death.’’

Sans easily lead him with his many questions, the monster started sweating and looked around to check if anyone was listening to the conversation.

Maybe once, the young skeleton would have taken joy in confidently interacting with others and converse with brio and devastating wit, he dreamed of making a spectacular display once he would have his debutante party, he had been impatiently waiting for this day when he was just a babybones, he would also dance with many, and flirt…. But that was another life, many years ago. It was gone now.  
This time, he longed with every fiber of his being to become inconspicuous, to retreat to a safe space, to hide in the shadows.

He excused himself from the table.

The people surrounding him were oblivious to how miserable Sans was to be there. The fact that he had kept his emotions very carefully in check was, in fact, one of the few small pleasures he experienced over the last hour. Even the minor joy of observing and assessing the other attendees — their sumptuous fashion choices, the ways in which their stature spoke unintended volumes about their lvl and power — was muted by the fact that he was in such a crowded, unfamiliar territory.  
Though he does not intend to find Gaster, he would rather avoid his company, thank you very much, he thinks he perhaps might recognize a few people, but between the messy blur of faces and variously colorful silhouettes, no names emerged.

He managed to stroll around the edge of the dance floor, careful to not venture too close to any activity or person. Not having any encounter with undesirable people thanks to the ebb and flow of the mass of well-dressed people that fills the room, As he walked around, he heard a woman whispering to her escort about the humans, how they ambushed some monsters during the night with pitchforks and torches -which were getting more frequent-, the man indicated that the fighting had gone well with no losses for the monster party, and all of those low lives were hunted down and killed by the hands of the new head of the royal guard, Undyne the undying, a third voice told them that they were reasonably certain of the young captain’s allegiance to the throne, and of her potential for bringing stability to the king’s faction despite her young age.

Feeling strange for eavesdropping on people’s conversations, Sans decided to find something to do instead of standing there like a candle.

Which leaves him at the ornate cocktail bar on the edge of the ballroom, clinging to the polished surface like a lifeline, Five bartenders worked with astounding reflexes mixing drinks, so he didn’t have to wait long for the bartender to reach him.  
“mustard.” he orders, The bartender -a spider monster- nods, she doesn’t react to his strange request because she had been working here for a long time, she usually works in the kitchen but she had applied to work at the bar for tonight, her request must've been accepted thanks to her many, agile hands.

The marble counter top facing Sans was covered with a variety of prepared beverages. There were small engraved gold signs identifying the different types of drinks, but only a quarter of the options were remotely recognizable. Text in different monster languages was gathered onto the same handful of options, providing translations for guests of different races.  
The bartender is efficient and within less than a minute, she hands the condiment to Sans in a fancy glass. He immediately takes a large swallow of the liquid, and winces a little as it burns on its way down. he doesn’t let it stop him, though. he finishes the drink and then says to the bartender, who is wiping down her counter nearby, “Another.”

It’s when she is handing him the second glass that a voice right next to him catches his attention, “Hello, I don’t believe we’ve met.”

A middle aged reptilian monster wearing spiral shaped glasses and a crimson gown inserted herself into the chair next to his. “I was hoping to introduce myself. I’m dr.Alphys, i work under your father”. Her posture is somewhat hunched over, she had yellow scales, claws and protruding teeth from her large maw, with distinctly reptilian flesh around his eyes, nose, & mouth.

She extended her hand, and Sans shook it with a nervous smile ‘’the name’s Sans Gaster, pleasure to meet you’’.  
With Sans’s ties to his father, Gaster, and with rumors circulating that there was a conspiracy against King Asgore, doctor Alphys was likely to be mostly keeping close to the royal scientist’s inner circle. Sans made a mental note that this lady might be a potential source of information. Though he wasn’t sure if he was prepared to go question the woman about her employer with so little context.

Introductions finished, They both stared at each other in silence for a long while. Neither of them knew exactly how to proceed. However, seeming content with the interval of relative calm that washed over the two. Sans swirled his drink in his hand as he watched the crowd. He dully notes his highness standing off to the side in the main ballroom with Gaster to his left, the old tortoise from before was striding toward them and joined them as they quickly exchanged information.

For the most part everyone went about their business. Couples danced, occasionally exchanging partners with acquaintances, small groups mingled, leaning in closely to whisper comments that elicited soft laughter. Those closest to the bar seemed to hover, diligently partaking in a dizzying number of colorful beverages. In many ways he found the whole thing charming, despite the intangible ever-present sense of anxiety, events like these sometimes ended in ruins, it rarely happened, but there was a possibility that the checked heirs would show disappointing stats, many will get sent to a far mansion in a poor rural area, under the guise of ‘’being sick’’, which was only a way for the house to cut ties with them and having them disposed of, waiting a couple years before assassinating them under the guise that they died because of a ''sickness'', or just had committed suicide.

Suddenly, the strange feeling of having eyes on his back brought him to reality. Turning around he suddenly knew why, once they established eye contact, Gaster beckoned him.

The show came to an end, the musicians drifted offstage, the golden light of the chandeliers faded, bright spotlights were directed to Sans once he joined his creator on the now empty stage. His father put a hand on his back, it was not comforting.

‘’I am are very delighted to have everyone in attendance for this special occasion, I would also like to acknowledge your extraordinary contribution to make this special evening a great success’’.

The whole room applauded at the end of his speech, after minutes, the thunderous applause was replaced with silence once again. The atmosphere of the ballroom shifted. With the political-intrigue portion of the night over and done with, the real party could begin. Sans knew, as he knew water would run downhill, that the wine would flow, alliances would be freely made and broken and remade, flirtations and dalliances would blaze up and many attendees would be caught up in flares of rivalry.

Unease began to stir in the pit of Sans's stomach, he felt utterly exhausted, and a little surprised at his own exhaustion. This form of Game-playing had never been his milieu, and he normally looked forward to the scintillating potential energy of this moment, of him making a spectacular display, in commanding the crowd’s attention. It was now that his skills and efforts could be brought to bear in earnest now, Surprisingly, Sans found he had no desire to exert his energies in this way.

The king’s judge, a hooded figure whom only gave the honor of checking to few chosen households, stepped forward and extended his hand towards Sans’s chest, this was it, the moment that will establish his position in the aristocratic circle, the moment Gaster had been training- torturing him for during all these years.

A soft ping ran.

Perhaps it was leftover malaise from earlier in the evening, when he had wished to disappear into the shadows. but no, it was the heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach, the fear that something might go haywire, years of experience have proven that anything that Sans did, would never go according to plan.

*SANS  
LoVe 0  
1ATK  
1 DEF  
Can only deal 1 DMG


	5. it's not over yet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WOOOO finally finished this arc so i can move on with my story, i'm really curious about what you think of it so far?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't think i'll be able to write more chapters anytime soon, i have exams XD

His body rose, his breathing going savage and so loud as to pierce his own nonexistent ears, the crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling trembled after being pushed by a breeze of wind, as if the ceiling was shaking, as if Sans’s whole world was shaking, its small pieces clinking in an acute melody, in contrast to the suffocating silence, and the second that followed this check was met with the muffled scoffs and snickers.

Gaster looked at his creation, weighting up his situation, the experiment he had been so proud of failed miserably in front of such a large audience. It was no secret the tall monster had a very short temper hidden under that calm smile he showed the world.

‘’Oh my, this is quite the main event’’ said an astigmatism with a spark in their eyes, they were throwing oil on fire, everyone was enjoying the fact Sans had brought immense shame to his creator, many eyes were studying their expressions, curious about what will happen next.

‘’You never know, even the head scientist can fail quite miserably’’ another monster added from a place Sans couldn’t pinpoint, he didn’t dare lift his face and meet the crowd’s eyes, his eye lights focused on the floor.

The poor monster was humiliated, this check showed that he would never be able to achieve his purpose. He didn’t have the stats, he didn’t have the level. He was just a worthless fake monster who couldn’t do anything right. The only thing he could do was worry about his and his brother’s futures and just about anything else that would happen to them. He sniffed, trying to keep back the tears threatening to fall.

His eyes burned and vision blurred as thick tears fell regardless of his attempts to prevent them, the drops blended with his sweat, this was the end of his social life, as soon as he had debuted in the aristocratic world, he had immediately suffered the most terrifying experience, this will cause a fatal wound for both his and Gaster’s reputation, maybe even Papyrus’s.

Oh god- Papyrus.. what would he think if he learned about what had happened, how disappointed would he be in Sans, would he even consider him his brother anymore?

‘’What a dirty bastard! Do you know that you have to apologize when you deceive people like this?!’’

Sans’s eyes widened at those words, the half unconscious fish monster staggered and pointed his fingers at him. The man appeared to be so heavily intoxicated that even from far away, the pungent smell of alcohol emanated from him. However, no matter how drunk he was, it was not easy to deal with the level of criticism he had said against the scientist, it was directed at Gaster, but Sans felt like he was the one being addressed.

The eyes of the audience were curiously anticipating the royal scientist’s reaction, the drunk attendant now started talking ill of Sans, none of the onlookers stepped up to stop the slander that was coming out of his mouth. It was impossible to stop him, because, as far as they were concerned, all he was blabbering was the truth, and there was no reason for them to miss this interesting spectacle.  
the gaze of the guests on the poor skeleton were more inquisitive than worried about him as he was hyperventilating. Sans felt even more filthy by the second that their piercing stares were on him, his whole body was trembling, he desperately wanted to leave this place but was too scared to move, suddenly, the back of his skull was viciously caught in a crushing grip and bent forward, until he fell on his knees in an apologetic posture. Sans let out a barely audible cry, like a dying animal, said hand’s owner’s voice silenced the crowd’s loud murmurs and complaints.

“My deepest apologies, I did not expect such a predicament to occur. I will give everyone a compensation because of this.’’  
Flaunting his wealth was a way to reestablish his position as a high rank noble. However, the fish monster became even more enraged, he took it as an encouragement to disrespect the scientist and berate him on his failure even more, he wanted attention, he did not want to stop his provocation.

No matter how many insults people threw his way, Gaster was still the royal head scientist, who’s standing was far above everyone present, except the royal family, the drunk man looked smug and seemed to be proud of what he had done, the gazes of the crowd staring at him further exhilarated him.  
Gaster looked at the drunk monster, when his black sockets met the noble’s eyes, the monster went rigid and he immediately became sober, the scientist’s stare weighed heavily on him and seemed to suffocate him.

‘’Do you want to proceed with this problem further?’’

This was not a question, and he did not wait for an answer before continuing, he ordered Sans to retreat back to his room, he will deal with him later. For now, he needed to do some damage control.  
Thankfully, the crowd froze at Gaster’s words, everyone was all bark and no bite. If they dared to really clash with the royal scientist, they would not meet a good end, so they went quiet with their heads tucked between their shoulders.

Even after Sans’s exit, the commotion in the banquet hall continued on for some time as everyone was whispering about him. The stories that are going to come out of their mouths will all be awful to hear. In this society, people considered it completely normal to disrespect someone because of their checks. In this country, higher ranking nobles tended to have higher level or stats, thus, stronger magic. Because of that, most nobles treated level as some kind of status symbol. And within that crowd, there were many who believed that ranking was everything.

On his way back to his room he could hear the sounds of horse hooves on cobblestone, as he peeked from a nearby window, he saw many guests leaving the hall, with a swing of the coachmen’s whips, the carriages started moving as they left the residence.

It was no news that Sans will be an object of mockery for the next years. This was probably the furthest from a delightful soirée the poor skeleton had in mind.  
He entered his room then closed the door behind him, his legs lost all strength as he leaned on the cold wood.  
After all his efforts, after he was forced to kill so many creatures, after he was beaten almost to death for reciting the wrong formula, after many sleepless nights caused by his guilt and nightmares, all he achieved was nothing.

After a while, he was so lost in thought that he didn’t hear the thud of someone walking in the hallway. He didn’t hear the door creak open and most certainly didn’t want to hear this voice.  
“Sans?”

He immediately recognized the voice’s owner, Papyrus. His chest froze in mild panic, he most definitely did not want anyone finding him like this. He was sitting in a corner of his room, huddled up in a ball trying to hide his face. So much for the put yourself together act.

“Please leave me alone.” his voice sounded hoarse.

“What? Leave you alone like this? Brother, I may be the great and terrible Papyrus but I’m not that heartless towards my own brother.” His sibling said in his usual airy tone.  
Sans didn’t say anything as his brother just closed the door and went over to flop down next to him. Papyrus tilted his head to see his brother’s expression, he saw the tears running down his face as he sniffled slightly. ‘’Are you ok brother?’’ Papyrus asked gently, and Sans turned his head to face him.

‘’I’m fine, totally.’’ He said as he looked the other way towards the window, he didn’t want to let another person know how weak and pathetic he was, but he was failing at it.

‘’No, you aren’t’’ the taller said, ‘’Is it because of the party?’’ he asked and Sans nodded his head solemnly.  
‘’Yeah, tonight was terrible.’’ he whispered and Papyrus hesitantly put an arm around his shoulders pulling Sans towards a warm hug.  
Sans starts to cry harder and his reaction is instantaneous, instinctual. He reciprocates the hug and embraces his younger brother tightly. He loves him so much, so freaking much.  
Sans rested his head against Papyrus’s collarbone as the younger brother started rubbing soothing circles on his back.

‘’I read that talking about it helps, do you want to?’’, Sans hesitantly shook his head, Papyrus was going to know about it sooner than later, but Sans didn’t have the energy to speak. The short skeleton took a shaky breath and wearily rubbed a hand through his skull. He just wished he could wipe the images of his newest nightmare right out of his mind.

Emotions start coursing through Papyrus’s chest at the sight of his poor big brother: indescribable rage, a horrible pity, and the deepest sadness that he has ever experienced. He was unable to help Sans, this was the first time that he saw his brother this miserable. He could only nod and say ‘’Ok.’’

Papyrus suddenly stood up and went to the bed, he pulled the blanket up with him and brought it to his shivering brother, wrapping it around his shoulders. Sans’s head was throbbing and he could barely think. He wiped the tears away but they kept coming down, soon enough the exhaustion lured him to a deep slumber and papyrus carried him back into the bed. He proceeded to crawl in next to his brother and gradually inch closer until his chest is pressed into Sans’s back. Papyrus was taller, and his legs curved against his brother’s comfortably, but the younger skeleton was careful to maintain a few inches distance between their hips. He started rubbing Sans’s shoulder blades comfortingly as he let his SOUL temperature rise slightly so as to warm him.


End file.
